Belfast

Belfast should be a must see for anyone visiting Ireland, especially if one is interested in the history of Northern Ireland. There is plenty to do there, and coming from the Republic, my group and I loved the favorable exchange rate and lower prices. We were able to eat like kings and visit as more pubs for cheaper than is possible in Dublin. From a cultural standpoint, West Belfast was the highlight of the trip. For those who don't know, West Belfast is where much of the action occurred during the Troubles, the turbulent time of Catholic and Protestant conflict. West Belfast, a Catholic neighborhood, is adorned with many murals - some militant - memorializing the conflict. I have uploaded examples along with other pictures of the trip. Other places visited in Belfast included city hall, the St. George Market, Queen's College, the Rose Garden, and the Titanic pump house. I can't recommend that last one as it is pretty far away from the city center on foot and there isn't much to see, as I believe the Titanic sank quite a long time ago.

A long overdue update

This is a long overdue update of my adventures in Ireland but I will try to write a couple updates over the next few days. Since Paris, I have visited Belfast, Glendalough, and Galway, but there has also been a lot of down time, mostly to save money. The next two weeks should be particularly exciting because I am traveling to Amsterdam this weekend and Prague the weekend after that. This week is the penultimate week of classes, and I can't believe how fast its gone. There is still a lot of preparation I need to do before finals.

Paris

As some of you know I was lucky enough to travel to Paris to visit Aly last weekend. It was an amazing trip but alas, ended to quickly. I flew Ryanair and was pleasantly surprised, in that I did not feel like cattle like I predicted. That said, you get what you pay for in terms of hospitality and comfort (I paid around 100 Euro round trip, but tickets can be had for much cheaper).

Aly's apartment is in the 17th arrondissement, putting it close to the Champs Elysees and L'Arc du Triumphe. I purchased un carnet de billets so we were able to take the subway all over the city. I think my favorite was the cemetary Pere Lachaise, where Edith Piaf, Oscar Wilde, and Jim Morrison are buried (among others). The winding layout of the cemetary gave it a very whimsical feel. Check out the pictures on Picasa.

We also did a boat trip on the Seine, walked around Montmartre (where we saw Sacre Coeur), and many more. Perhaps the most surprising moment was when we walked into the Tuileries and stumbled upon fashion week. The garden was filled with paparazzi and models who don't look better person. We also saw Scott Schuman, aka the Sartorialist, shooting pictures for his famous blog. I was able to get his autograph for Aly this past weekend when he came to Dublin. She was too chicken to talk to him in France.

On a side note, this was part of note from my friend Hodge. It was too funny not to share.

by the way, I have lost all respect for you now that you blog about yourself, but I am comforted by the knowledge that your soul is suffering greatly for your actions.

hope things are going well!

I have posted some pictures on my picasa account for your perusal. Enjoy (unless you are Hodge.)

Arthur's Day

Sorry for the long time in between posts, but I just got home from Paris. Today I am posting some pictures from Arthur's Day, which was the worldwide celebration for the 250th anniversary of Guinness. There were events at pubs all over Dublin, but because we didn't get tickets, we weren't able to get in any pubs with live music, though The Bleeding Horse did have a live feed from the main event at St. James Gate Brewery, where Tom Jones and others performed. The event culminated at 17:59 (get it?) where everyone raised their glasses to Arthur Guinness.

Stay tuned for a Paris post and pictures.

I have Howth pictures

I have posted some pictures from my trip to Howth on my Picasa album, and as you can see it is a beautiful place. I had a long day today, with 5 hours of class (though 2 hours were My Darling Clementine by John Ford) and Rugby practice. Looking forward to September 24th, which for those who don't know, is the 250th anniversary of Guinness and there are going to be celebrations in every pub in Ireland, starting with a toast at 17:59 (get it). Hope everyone is doing well. Slainte.

Aly is a better blogger

Interested in a more aesthetically pleasing and astutely written blog? Then look no further then my girlfriend Alison's blog, "en francais s'il vous plait: five months in paris." As you all know, the french do not recognize capital letters. Anyway, it is very interesting and will be my motivation to update this blog more often.

Here's the link.

Picasa

I recently created a Picasa Gallery so I can easily upload pictures to the web. Check it out here. I have already uploaded some from St. Stephen's Green and the Liffey. Above is a picture of the Department of Taoiseach (I believe it is pronounced Teeshuck) at Merrion square. The Taoiseach is similar to a Prime Minister and the elected position is currently held by Brian Cowen, of the Fianna Fail political party. He succeeded Bertie Ahern. I have yet to meet either of them.